Flach (submarine)

The flat was a Chilean submarine, which was designed by the same German immigrant and engineer Karl Flach. He was commissioned by the Chilean President José Joaquín Pérez during the Spanish- South American war to build a submarine to protect the fleet in the port of Valparaíso. After the prototype Heyermann Gustavo Heyermann the first attempt sank to the bottom, Karl flat was his turn.

He designed a submarine that is completely made ​​of steel and an eleven-member crew had room. It was 12.5 meters long, 2.5 meters in diameter and had reached a speed of three knots. This submarine was only the fifth, which had made ​​a successful dive trip around the world. The submarine was powered by muscle power with pedals and had two guns. Visually, it resembled an inflated hot water bottle.

The first attempts in the bay of Valparaíso were successful. On 3 May 1866, U- boat went unannounced to another dive. Through an unexplained cause the boat sank but on the ground about 50 feet deep. On board the engineer Karl Flach, be about 16 year old son and a nine -member crew were (two Chileans, two Frenchmen and five other German ), who could not save themselves. Two days later, the heavy U- boat was located by the British frigate HMS leader in deep mud, which made a rescue impossible.

Rescue attempt

The Chilean filmmaker Juan Enrique Benítez became aware of the second built in Latin America submarine and started on a project to salvage the submarine. He is supported by the Chilean Navy with Navy divers and academics from Santiago de Chile by the Universidad Internacional SEK. With the help of a side- scan sonar, they excluded a previously a 2.5 km ² area.

On 26 April 2007 divers have reportedly rediscovered the submarine outside the harbor of the Chilean city of Valparaíso. Surely this can however be confirmed only after the liberation of the wreck out of the mud in 40 m depth.